Under Governor Cuomo’s new budget proposal, funding to organizations that assist people with developmental disabilities will be cut by $120 million.

That means the Genesee ARC itself stands to lose $600,000, leading to job losses and elimination of some programs. Executive Director Donna Saskowski says the cuts are hard to understand.

“It is a real concern," saskowski said, "because not only it is people with developmental disabilities, but these cuts are really only targeted toward the voluntary or not-for-profit providers; the state providers are not seeing the 6 percent cuts. While I see the state is in a very difficult position, I also know that we haven’t received any kind of increase in the last two years (and) there was a 6 percent cut about three years ago.”

NYSARC, the parent organization of the ARC and the nation’s largest non-profit agency, calls the cuts “catastrophic.” It says that adding in federal funding cuts, the total balloons to $240 million.

NYSARC agencies care for 126,000 individuals with developmental disabilities throughout the state.

Saskowski says the community should contact both Assemblyman Steve Hawley and State Senator Michael Ranzenhofer to voice their concerns over the funding cut.